Brassiere



A. S. BECKER Dec. 13, 1949 BRASSIERE Filed Jan.

INVENTOR. @Y, Jouzuzel/ zefier B worng Patented Dec. 13, 1949 UNITED STATE s PATENT OFFICE-Q p v 'BRASSIERE Abraham, Soundel Becker, Los Angeles, Calif. Application January 15, 1949, Serial No. 71,149

2 Claims.

This invention relates to brassires and has for its primary object the'provision of a garment of this character in which a proper fit is assured together with a firm support and shaping of the bust without the application of undue pressure thereon, and without utilizing wire frames or a other relatively stiff shaping means having a tendency to cause annoyance and irritation.

In carrying out the present invention to secure the desired results, means is provided by which the garment will closely fit the body; the brassire need not be provided with shoulder straps so that it may constitute a so-called strapless brassiere; the improved construction secured lateral support for the bust and prevents sagging or descent of the top edge of the garment, all of which results are secured without the employment of rigid frames or other elements of similar nature likely to cause injury or annoyance to the wearer.

More particularly, the invention contemplates the provision of a brassiere having breast or bust cups reinforced by stitching designating a circular form, which stitching is provided with tangential extensions to one side of the vertical center line of each of the bust cups,'whereby there is provided in the outer side portion of eachbust cup, a strongly reinforced area tending to materially resist lateral or outward distortion of the bust cups, thereby restraining outward spread of the breasts while maintaining the same in the desired circular conformation. In addition,'the invention contemplates the provision of means extending along the top edge of the brassire from its center line tothe rear terminal of its back flaps, which means constitutes shape-maintaining and supporting means for the top of the I brassiere, such means being in the form of a continuous strip of stiffening material of considerable "i resiliency and flexibility yet capable of maintaining its designated shape and holding the upper edge of the brassiere from sag or droop during wear. The invention further contemplates the provision of vertically disposed stiffening elementsextending upwardly and divergently from the center line of each bust cup to the top edge 2 closed, Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a brassiere constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of a top part of the brassiere near the center of the garment; Fig. 3 is a face view of a portion of the stiffening strip for the top edge of the brassiere; Fig.4 is a similar view of the stiffening strip, showing how the same may be flexed or curved to enable it to conform to the curved top edge of the brassiere; and Fig. 5 is a sectional view, taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

With reference to the drawing, I and 2 indicate the two bust cups or breast cups of the brassiere, the same being shown connected together at the center of the garment in the front thereof by means of the triangulated elastic insert 3. Said insert is expansible horizontally and has little or no expansibility in a vertical direction. Each of the breast cups I and 2 may be composed of one or more layers of fabric connected to ether in overlyingrelation, the outer layer being usually of a heavier fabric while the inner is often of a netted material, and each cup is formed in the required cupped formation by the -joinder together of segmental sections of fabric, by goring or by other means known in the art.

The reinforcing stitching shown in the two breast cups, is fully disclosed in the co-pending application of Victor 1. Becker, Serial No. 8,475, filed February 14, 1948, and the stitching consists of a plurality of substantially parallel, closelyspaced lines of stitching H, defining a plurality of concentric circles, with the central point or extremity III of the breast cup constituting the center point of the circles. Each of the lines of stitching H has its upper termination at the upper edge of the breast cup as indicated at 5, while the lower end of each line of stitching, extends to the lower end of the breast cup as indicated at 6. The result of this arrangement is a that the lines of stitching H co-operate in defining areinforced circular area in the central part of the cup from which tangential extensions [2 and I3 are directed, which extensions respectively extend upwardly and downwardly to the upper and lower edges of the brassiere as indicated at 5 and 6.

It will be observed that through this arrangement, a strongly reinforced area is provided in each breast cup and particularly in that portion of the cup wherein distension or spread of the cup is undesirable. That is to say, it is the desire and intention of the structure to not only support and mold or shape the breast into approved contour, but in attaining this result to restrain the breast against any undue lateral spread, and such spread is retarded materially by stiffening or reinforcing the breast cups within the area in which the greatest tendency to spread exists, namely, at the outer sides of the breasts beyond the vertical center line of the breast cup, such line being indicated in the drawing at 8.

The garment is further held in intimate contact with the body by means of suitable reinforcing elements constituting flexible stays. Two of such elements are indicated at and the same are provided along the top edge of the brassiere from the central point 2| thereof to the .ends of the side or back flaps 22 and 23 of the garment. Each of the stays 20'isinthe form of-a continuous strip of relatively thin and flat material such as so-called featherbone, or plastic, or other suitable material having considerable resilience and flexibility while having suflicient stiffness to maintain the upper edge of the garment where thestay is located, from sagging or drooping. Such a stay .is not actually .a rigid stiffening element since its flexibility enables the upper edge of the garment to readily conform to bodily contours.

For containing the stays 20, the top of the garment is provided with the elongated pockets and 26, and one of the stays is contained in each of these pockets. In its normal condition when out of the pocket, each stay is relatively straight and fiat, a portion of the stay being shown in Fig. 3. To enable the stay to beicurved in a direction transverse to its length,.and.at the required location, such as above the center line 8 of each of the bust cups, the stay is formed with one or more notches 27 extending inwardly from one of the longitudinal. edges of the stay, and possibly for adistance'of-one-half the-width of the stay. When the stay is flexed orcurved to enable it to follow the contour ofzthe pocket 25 or 26, these notches 2] permit curvatureof the stay, as seen in Fig. 4, without causing a break or interruption in the stay from the central point 2| of the brassire 'to the endof the rear or side flaps 23 and 24 thatform extensions of the breast cups.

The pockets 25 and 26, within which theistays 26 are contained, may be provided by vhemming over the top edge of the brassire or by theprovision of a rear binding tape as indicated at 30 in Fig. 5, or by any other means .knownin this art.

In addition to the top stays20, vertical stays SI and 32 may be provided :for each-breast cup.

These stays comprise a pair of vertically disposed members, of the nature of those shOWnat 20 and are contained in suitablepockets extending upwardly and dlvergently through the reinforcing stitching I I and from the lower edge 33 of the garment in each of the breast cups, to t-the top edge of the breast cups. It will be :noted that these stays are arranged so that the-same curve outwardly under pressure of the breasts and conform to the curvature of the breasts while at the same time co-operatingwith the-reinforcing stitching II to embrace the breasts and control undesirable lateral expansion of the breasts. The flexibility of the stays 3| and 32 is such that they are readily flexed under breast pressure yet impart suificient firmness to insure lateral support as well as lower support to the breast.

In the brassire shown, shoulder straps are omitted since the garment illustrated is of strapless nature. However, the features herein described are readily applicable to brassires provided with conventional shoulder straps if desired. The garment is secured about the wearer by the interengagement of fastening elements, such as the hooks 35 and eyes 34 respectively provided at the opposite ends of the flap portions 23 and 24.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that the same is not to be restricted thereto but is broad enough to cover all structures coming within the scopeof the annexed claims.

What I claim is.

1. A brassiere having a bust cup provided with a plurality. of closely-spaced lines of.stitching encircling the cup and defining a circular path around the center point of the cup,.said lines of stitching having end portions extending tangentially and terminating respectively at the top and bottom of the cup, the top edge of the cup being reinforced bya fiexiblefiat stay contained in a pocket extending along the top of the cup, the cup having a rear extension flap, thezstay extending continuously along the top of the cup and along the top of the rear flap, the stay being notched upwardly from its lower edge in an area above the cup to enable said stay to conform to the curvature of the .top edge of the cup while remaining flatly within the pocket.

2. A brassire as, provided for in claim 1, wherein the cup is provided with vertical stays extending downwardly from the top stay to the bottom of the cup, said vertical stays extending divergently from the top andacross the cup and having parts located in the area of the cup which contain the reinforcingstitching.

A. SOUNDEL BECKER.

REFERENCES ClITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES 'PA'I'ENTS Number Name Date 1,087,579 Hain Feb. '17., 1914 1,488,305 Adams Mar. 25, .1924 1,637,840 Volk Aug. 2, .1927 2,045,401 Mowry June 23, .1936 2,061,238 Klein Nov. 17, 1936 2,078,099 Rotclli et al Apr. 20,1937 2,152,910 Childs Apr. '4, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 365,796 vGreat Britain Jan. 28, 1932 

